Goldmine (171 Willis Street)

Prepare yourself for a somewhat mixed review. I think my high expectations are what let me down, because overall I suppose you could say the place was pretty good. Owned by the masters at Lamason, Goldmine is yet another CBD venture that has recently opened its doors. It has a very pleasing aesthetic, the food was well presented, and the staff were beyond friendly. My only concerns were the taste of the food itself… and the grammar on the menu (kind of kidding, but not really).

There was a large group of us that went for breakfast the other morning. Now, the brunch/lunch menu looked absolutely fantastic; it had everything on it you would expect to see on that of a hip Wellington cafe’s (think Buddha bowl, smashed avo on toast, Korean glazed chicken burger for example). But the breakfast menu was a little bit disappointing; beyond bacon and eggs, pancakes, and the classic granola and chia bowls, I thought it was a little un-imaginative (again, maybe it was just my high expectations). Fortunately, the staff were extremely accommodating and let a few of us order off the brunch menu (despite being 7.30am on a Tuesday), and even let two of the girls order chilli eggs (a dish that had previously been on the menu, but a revamp of the menu saw it removed), which is an outstanding dish. I had mushrooms on toast with hash – the hash was divine, but the mushrooms were under-sauteed and lacked creaminess. The pancakes were the low-light of the morning though – the maple syrup to pancake ratio was basically non-existent, which created for some serious stodge. The portion sizes were decent though!

The scones in the cabinet looked delicious, and given that the coffee was good I think there is a high chance that I will give it another go. Maybe I’ll go at lunch time and indulge in some smashed avo!